Between October 24 and 26 of this year, in Punta Arenas, the XI Chilean Congress of Antarctic Research was held. The objective of the Congress was to share the continuous growth and strengthening of the National Antarctic Science Program (PROCIEN) and the great contribution in this area made by researchers and students from the different universities of our country.

Our group participated with several works on the ecophysiology of Antarctic vascular plants, both in oral and poster formats. Dr. Dariel López presented the work titled: How can asymmetric warming cause deacclimatization to the cold of Deschampsia antarctica? Dariel commented on how the differential expression of genes modulates the physiological plant responses in possible scenarios of regional warming, and he is very pleased with the interest that his work generated, “Although there was little time for questions in the exhibition room, several researchers came to comment and debate during the coffee breaks, where there is always time to ask, answer and create.”

Additionally, Drs. León Bravo and Patricia Sáez presented their work: “Effects of in situ warming on Antarctic vascular plants: is there a compromise between growth/photosynthesis and resistance to stress?”, and “CaOxcrystals in C. quitensis leaves and its relationship with photosynthesis”. For their part, doctoral students Karla Villena and Valentina Vallejos presented their works titled: “Physiological responses of two species of the genus Colobanthus to water stress”, and “Effects of warming on the hydraulic-photosynthetic performance of Antarctic vascular plants faced to successive freeze-thaw cycles”. We are very happy with the interest that our work aroused in the attendees, who raised interesting questions and very positive opinions regarding our work.